Tractor cultivator



' June l8, 11935. s. RAHAM 2,005,618

TRACTOR CULTIVATOR Filed 001;. 18, 1954 s Sheets-Sheet .1

June 1935. w. s. GRAHAM TRACTOR CULTIVATOR Filed Oct. 18, 193% 5 Sheets-Sheet June 18,- 1935. w. s. GRAHAM I TRACTOR CULTIVATOR Filed Oct. 18, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented June 18, 1935 NITED STATE-S PATENT OFFHIE 'rnnoron oUL'rIvA'roR William S. Graham, Canton, 111., assignor to International Harvester Company, a corporation of New Jersey Application October 18, 1934, Serial No. 748,798

11 Clahns. (Cl. 97--47) The invention herein disclosed relates to The truck is swiveled on the forward end of the tractor cultivators and, more particularly, to body by means of an upright standard it jouriront end cultivator attachments for tractors oi naled in the front crosshead on casting of the the row crop type. body and carrying a gear section it at its upper The invention disclosed is an improvement to end, connected through suitable gearing with the 5 the tractor cultivators as set forth in the United steering shaft it which extends to the rear of States Patents No. 1,718,773 granted to B. R. the tractor to the steering wheel le At each Benjamin, June 25, 1929, and No. 1,936,749 grantside of its front end, the tractor body is provided ed to S. W. Cady et al., Nov. 28, 1933. with brackets il formed with vertically spaced 1{) The principal object of the invention is to sockets it for the reception of the fastening provide a structure which will limit the lateral means which support the bearing brackets it in movement of the gang bar either to the right which the cultivating attachment to be deor to the left when the tractor. cultivator is bescribed is carried. These bearing brackets l9 ing used on side hill cultivation, and another ob-' are preferably formed of a fiat bar bent into iect of the invention is to automatically center oblong, rectangular shape, as best seen in Figure 15 the gang bar upon, raising either of the cultii, and bolted to the brackets it by the upper vator gangs. The raising of the gangs may be and lower bolts 25 and 2|. Each of the supportaccomplished by hand or by the use of power ing brackets formed by the bars it carries Verfrom the tractor. tically spaced cylindrical rollers 22 and 23.

The aforesaid improvement is applied'to 2.. These rollers are spaced the required distance 20 light and structurally simple cultivator attachapart to receive between them a transversely ment for use in combination with row-crop extended member or bar 2 t, which is here distractors, which embodies novel means for supclosed as tubular, but may, of course, be of any porting the cultivating tools on the tractor, so shape desired. This membert s projects beyond 25 that they may be given substantially rectilinear each side of the tractor body to overhang the shifting movement laterally for plant dodging plant row at each side thereof at its center, and purposes. The cultivator attachment also emhas welded or otherwise secured to. it an upbodies tool supporting and lifting means in the right arm which is pivotally connected at its attachment, which will maintain the tools in upper endQas by a bolt 26, with a forwardly exlevel or horizontal position during vertical movetendingarm 2i projecting from the standard l4 ment thereof. of the truck and rotatable thereon.

Other objects and advantages will appear from Immediately below the arm 27 the standard of the detailed description of the preferred emthe truck has fixed to it a shorter, forwardly exbodiment of the invention hereinafter given in tending arm Which terminates a j fi fl the connection with the accompanying drawings, rear end of a longitudinally extending slot in the where: arm 2?. Below this slot the arm 2i is provided Figure l is a plan view of a tractor cultivator with a depending bracket 29 which serves as a embodying the invention; point of pivotal support. for an upwardly extend- Figure 2 is a side elevation embodying the ining latch member 33 projecting through the slot vention with the rear axle of the tractor in secin the arm 2i. The latch member 3% iS i p tion; rearwardly towards the end of the arm 28 by a Figure 3 is a front View on an enlarged scale, suitable coil spring 3! and the end of the arm 28- showing the main or transverse member for sups provided With a 11017611 for Seating the p porting the cultivator attachment with the imwh the arms 27 a d 23 are parallel The arm provement attached. and latch construction and arrangement justde- 45 Figure 4 is a detail sectional view on the line scribed are substantially that shown in greater l---@ of Figure 3; and, detail in the patent to Benjamin et al. No. 1,667,-

Figure 5 is a detail sectional view on the line 371 of April 2c, 1928. As means for operating the 5-45 of Figure 3. latch to lock and release the arm 2'! from the arm In its prgsent embodiment, the i tio i 25, there is providedareaiwardly extending arm shown in combination with a row crop tractor of 32, which has a runner portion Testing 011 the a the type comprising a wide tread rear aide tr 2?, which is pivoted at its forward end, as at 33, to ture it supported on traction wheels H and havthe upp end of the latch At its end ing a central, longitudinal body 52 supported at the arm 32 extends upwardly and carries a cross- 55 the front on a dirigible, narrow tread truck 53. bar 3 as best seen in Figures 1 and 3, the pur- 55 pose of which will be later referred to. At each side of the tractor body, the cross member 24 is connected to a rearwardly extending thrust bar 35, which is connected to an outwardly spaced point on the cross member 24 by means of a vertical pivot bracket 35.

The pivot bracket is formed with a vertically elongated bearing sleeve 3?, which receives a pivot pin on the forward end of the thrust member 35. Each bar 35 extends rearwardly and inwardly and is pivoted at its rear end to the axle structure of the tractor by means of a vertical bearing pin, at 3'1. movement of the transverse member 26 between the bearing rollers 22 and 23, which are of sufiicient length to permit the slight arcuate movement necessitated during the movement of the member, which is loosely seated between the bearing rollers. The member 2 is, however, held againstrotation by the elongated bearing at 3?, and also because the bar 24 has a square cross section.

Each of the projecting ends of the transverse member 2 supports a straddle-row cultivating unit, and, as they are identical at each side of the tractor, only one of them will be described. Each straddle-row unit is composed of two tool supporting rigs, and each rig consists of a lower or main dragbar 38 and an upper parallel drag link 39. The forward ends of both members 38 and 39 are pivotally mounted in a bracket All, which is securely fastened to the transverse member 24, as best shown in Figure 5. The parallel dragbars 38 and 39 are connected at their rear ends by a tool bracket t! formed with a vertical socket for the reception of the shovel standard 32 and with a horizontal fore and aft socket extending therethrough for reception of the forwardly extending arm 53, on the forward end of which the standard 44 of a ground engaging gauge member is mounted. The foregoing arrangement of parallel dragbars pivotally connected by the tool bracket 4| provides a substantially rectilinear, pivotally connected linkage,'which maintains the tools and the ground engaging gauge member in substantially horizontal level position during vertical movement of the cultivation rig. In order to effect lifting and lowering of each rig and to maintain it in ground engaging position, each tool bracket t! is provided with a lifting link G5, which is pivotally connected to the tool bracket at a point between the two dragbars 38 and 39. At its upper end the link 55 passes through a suitable collar bracket 46 securely attached to the forwardly extending lift actuating bar :37. The bracket 4-6 in this modification is capable of receiving two lifting links 45. The usual pressure spring 58 is confined on the link 35 between the collar on the collar bracket 45 and a stop @9 on the lower end of the link. Another stop 5E3 is provided at the upper end of the link 45, with which the collar on the collar bracket -36 will contact when the forwardly extending lift actuating bar 4? is moved upwardly and forwardly, thereby lifting the cultivator rigs from the ground.

The raising and lowering of the cultivator rigs is preferably efiected by means of power lift mechanism on the rear end of the tractor, as at 5!, though it is torbe understood that this power lift mechanism of the half revolution type may be located elsewhere on the tractor. It is also to be understood that the power lift mech anism may be supplanted by the ordinary lever and quadrant, if so desired. The power lift mechanism 5| actuates crank and link mech- Accordingly, thrust bars permit axial anism to swing a rockshaft 52 carrying crank arms 53 firmly attached thereto, to which the forwardly extending lift actuating bars 41 are pivotally connected at their rear ends. These bars 2-! are pivotally connected at their front ends to links 54 which are pivotally mounted in brackets 55 which are firmly affixed to the transverse member 24. The cultivator rigs, since they are attached to the lift actuating bars 41, are raised or lowered upon the actuation of the power lift mechanism 5| at the will of the operator.

In order to prevent excessive axial movement of the transverse member 25 in side hill cultivation and at the same time to provide for automatic centering of the transverse member upon the raising of the cultivator rigs, the roller carrying brackets 89 at each side of the tractor frame may be provided with upper supporting brackets 56 pivotally supportingguide brackets 51'! provided with holes for the centering rods 58 to slide thereon. The upper part of the brackets E9 are provided with holes for the lower pivots of the brackets 51. The centering rods are provided with eyes at the rear end, which pivot in the eye bolts 59, which are firmly attached to the pivoted links 54. Adjustable stops 6!] are mounted on the centering rods 58. These stops 66 abut against the pivoted guide brackets 51, thereby limiting the movement of the transverse member 24 to the right or left and also, when the cultivating rigs are raised, aid in centering the transverse member.

In operation, the member 24 carrying the straddle-row cultivator units is connected to the standard of the steering truck through the arms Z5, 22 and 28 and the interposed latch 38, and steering movements. of the truck will cause axial shifting of the member 24 to impart plant dodging movementsv to the cultivator units. If the operator is using this cultivating device in side hill work, the stops 60 mounted on the centering rod guide brackets prevent the transverse member 2 5 from moving either to the right or left too far, depending upon direction of the tractor along the hillside being cultivated.

In order to center the transverse member 24 by the raising of the cultivator rigs, the operator trips the power lift 5!, which imparts an upwardly and forward movement to the lift actuating bars 41, pivoted to the transverse'member 24 through the pivoted links M, which abut the crossbar 34 at A, best shown in Figures 1' and2. The bar 34 releases the latch 39 through the extending arm 32 sliding on the forwardly extending arm 27. Releasing the latch 39 from the arm 28, which is connected to steering standard Hi, permits the operator to make short turns at the headlands of the rows being cultivated.

As the transverse member 24 is disconnected from the steering mechanism, the centering rods 53, which are connected to the pivoted links 55, which in turn are connected to the transverse member 24%, are brought into engagement through the stops G9 with the guide brackets 57, which are mounted in the brackets l9 and 56, which are mounted on the frame of'the tractor l2. The result is that the transverse member 24 is centered with respect to the tractor frame l2 and also is prevented from having too great a lateral movement in either direction when transporting.

The foregoing construction is therefore, one in which comparatively few partsare employed and in which-there is afforded a directly connested type of cultivatorattachment having rec tilinear shifting movement as well as parallel lift mechanism, all carried on one main supporting member, the bar 24. In addition the construction provides for means to limit the shifting movement of the bar and also automatic means for centering the bar upon the raising of the cultivator rigs.

The preferred embodiment of the invention above described may be subject to variations in details of construction without departure from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of a tractor having fixed supporting means. extending forwardly on the front end of the tractor, a transversely ex tending member loosely carried on said supporting means for translative movement horizontally with. respect thereto and projecting beyond each side of the tractor, means on the tractor for shifting said member axially, a thrust member connected to each projecting portion of the transverse member by a vertical pivot and similarly connected to therear portion of the tractor, tillage tools having dragbars trailing from the projecting portions of the transverse member, and means whereby the horizontal translative move ment of the transverse member is limited.

2. The combination of claim 1, the vertical pivot between each thrust member and the transverse member being mounted in elongated bearings to prevent rotation of the transverse member.

3. The combination of a tractor having bearing brackets mounted on the forward portion of the tractor in lateral spaced relation, a transversely extending member loosely mounted in the brackets for movement axially and projecting beyond each side of the tractor, means on the tractor for shifting said member axially, a thrust member connected to each projecting portion of the transverse member by a vertical pivot and similarly connected to the rear portion of the tractor, tillage tools having dragbars pivotally supported on the projecting portions of the transverse member for movement vertically, means carried by said portions of the transverse member for lifting and lowering the dragbars, and centering means whereby said transverse member is centered upon the raising of said tillage tools.

l. The combination of a tractorhaving fixed supporting brackets mounted on the forward end thereof, a pair of bearing rollers mounted in each bracket in vertically spaced relation, a transversely extending member positioned between the bearing rollers and supported thereby for free movement axially, means on the tractor for shifting the transverse member axially, vertically movable tillage tools mounted on the transverse member, means pivoted to the transverse member for moving the tools vertically, and adjustable means for limiting the axial movement of the transverse member.

5. The combination of a tractor having bearing brackets mounted on the forward portion of the tractor in laterally spaced relation, rollers mounted in said brackets, a transversely extending member mounted in bearings on the brackets for movement axially and projecting beyond the tractor body, means on the tractor for shifting said member axially, forwardly extending lift actuating bars, means for pivotally connecting said lift bars to said transverse member, means on the tractor for actuating said lift bars, verti'cally spaced dragbars pivoted to the transverse member and trailing rearwardly therefrom, tool brackets pivotally connecting the free ends of said'dra-gbars, lifting links connecting said brackets to the lift actuating bars, soil working means secured to the brackets, means for disengaging said transverse member from said axially shifting means, and centering means whereby said transverse member is centered with respect to the tractor upon the operation of said means for actuating said lift bars.

6. The combination of a tractor having a transverse member mounted on the forward portion of the tractor and projecting laterally therefrom, lift actuating bars, means for connecting said lift bars to said transverse member, power lift means of the one-half revolution type clutch operated by said tractor for actuating said lift bars, vertically spaced parallel dragbars pivoted to the transverse member for movement vertically, a tool bracket pivotally connecting the free ends of said dragbars, a lifting link connect ing the bracket to the lift actuating bars, soil working means secured to the bracket, and centering means connecting said lift actuating bars whereby said transverse member is centered with respect to the tractor upon the raising of said dragbars.

7. The combination of a tractor having, fixed supporting brackets, spaced bearing means permitting translative movement mounted therein, a transverse extending member mounted in said bearing means, means on the tractor for shifting said transverse member laterally when said tractor is steered, tillage tools having dragbars pivotally supported on said transverse member, means for raising and lowering said tillage tools, said means including forwardly extending lift actuating bars, adjustable means for actuating said lift bars and pivoted links connecting said lift bars to said transverse member, means for releasing said steering means from said transverse member, said releasing means operable by the movement of said raising and lowering means, and means for centering said transverse member by said raising and lowering means.

8. The combination of a tractor having fixed supporting brackets, spaced bearing means permitting translative movement mounted therein, a transversely extending member mounted in said bearing means, means on the tractor for shifting said transverse member laterally when r said tractor is steered, tillage tools having dragbars pivotally supported on said transverse member, means for raising and lowering said tillage tools, said means including forwardly extending lift actuating bars, adjustable means for actuating said lift bars and pivoted links connecting said lift bars to said transverse member, means for releasing said steering means from said transverse member, said releasing means operable by the movement of said raising and lowering means, and means for centering said transverse member by said raising and lowering means, said centering means including centering rods pivoted to said pivoted links, adjustable limiting means mounted on said rods, supporting brackets mounted on said tractor, guide brackets pivotally mounted in said last mentioned brackets, said guide brackets permitting the sliding therethrough of said centering rods and the abutting of said limiting means.

9. The combination of a tractor having fixed supporting brackets, spacedbearing means permitting translative movement mounted therein,

a transversely extending member mounted in said bearing means, means on the tractor for shifting said transverse member laterally when said tractor is steered, a thrust member connected to each projecting portion of the transverse member by a vertical pivot and similarly connected to the rear portion of the tractor, tillage tools having dragbars pivotally supported on said transverse member, means for raising and lowering said tillage tools, said means including for Wardly extending lift actuating bars, adjustable means for actuating said lift bars and pivoted links connecting said lift bars to said transverse member, means for releasing said steering means from said transverse member, said releasing means operable by the movement of said raising and lowering means, and adjustable limiting means for limiting the lateral movement of said transverse means.

10. In a cultivator attachment for a tractor of the tricycle type having fixed supports for attaching said attachment on the forward portion of said tractor and means for steering the implement attachment, said cultivator attachment including supporting brackets to attach tosaid tractor brackets, said last mentioned brackets having spaced bearing means permitting translative movement mounted therein, a transversely extending member mounted in said bearing means, means mounted on said transverse member for releasably connecting said transverse member to said implement steering means, tillage tools having dragbars pivotally supported to said transverse member, means for raising and lowering said tillage tools, said means including forwardly extending lift actuating bars, adjustable means for actuating said lift bars, and pivoted links connecting said lift bars to said transverse member; means for releasing said steering means from said transverse member, said releasing means operable by the movement of said. raising and lowering means, and means for centering said transverse member by said raising and lowering means, a

11. In an attachment as set forth in claim 10, said centering means including centering rods pivoted to said pivoted links, adjustable limiting means mounted on said rods, supporting brackets mounted on said cultivator attaching brackets, guide brackets pivotally mounted in said supporting brackets, and said guide brackets permitting the sliding therethrough of said centering rods and the abutting of said limiting means.

WILLIAM S. GRAHAM. 

